baumann



July 24, 1923.

M. C. BAUMANN RUDDER CONTROL Filed Aug. 23, 1920 {Sheets-Sheet 1 QM MK#W' & M

I ama-v1?- July 24, 1923.

M. c. BAUMANN RUDDER CONTROL Filed Aug. 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2[TIL/277227? a w &

Patented July 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON C. -BAU1VIANN, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DAYTON-WRIGHTCOMPANY,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

, RUDDER CONTROL.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON C. BAUMANN, a citizen of the United StatesofAmerica, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rudder Controls, ofwhich the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to improvements in aeroplane control andmore particularly to a control for the rudder, a preferred formof whichhas been chosen as convenient for the purposes of description andexplanation.

It is a well known fact that considerable difficulty has beenexperienced in the aeroplane art with control devices for the rudadaptedto be manipulated by the operators feet. With this type, there have beenoccasions when the operatorls feet have slipped from the treads of thecontrol, often catching in the control cables and other mechanism withdeleterious results. It is desirable, therefore, to have a control withthe treads constructed so as to overcome any tendency for the operatorsfeet to slip off. Further, it is evident that it would be very desirableto adjust the control at times so that, with the rudder in its normalposition, the treads mightbe moved closer or farther from the'operatorsseat. to suit the different lengths of limb of different operators.

It is among the objects of. the present invention, therefore, to providea control which is safe, sure, and sufficient in operation and which isadapted for adjustment so that its treads may be set at differentdistances from the operators seat.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings: I I Fig. 1 is a view of the control device inelevation, looking in the direction of the rudder.

Fig. 2 is, a-side elevation of the control showing, more particularly,the position of the control levers for normal position of i and nuts.

pins 41.

the rudder, and means for connecting the control to the rudder.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the control partly insection along the line 33of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic top view of the control showing the treadsadjusted for difierent distances from the operators seat.

In the drawings, and more particularly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the controldevice, designated as a whole by the numeral 20, comprises a lever 21 tobe operated by the .left foot of the operator, and the lever 22 to beoperated by his right foot. The lever 21 is provided with a shaft 23 andthe lever 22 with acorresponding shaft 241.. These shafts are separatefrom each other and act as axes for the levers.

der, wherein the general type of control is The levers are supported bybrackets 25 1 two pairs of which are secured to the framework 26 of. theaeroplane by suitable bolts Each pair of brackets is adapted toform'suitable bearings for the shafts.

: Thus the shafts are adapted for rotation but arecaused to have afixedposition in the j aeroplanerelative to aeroplane structure,

and more particularly to the operators seat.

The shafts 23 and 24 are provided with suitable intermeshing gears 30and 31 respectively, secured firmly thereon, for example by means ofpins 32. These gears are located, preferably, between the pairs ofbrackets in order to economize space. Outside the brackets the shaft 24extends on the right and the shaft 23 on the left for securing thelevers thereto. These levers have socket members d0, fixed on their.lower ends. to enable their being secured to the shafts, utilizing forexample, the

At a point intermediate the ends of the levers, are secured connectingstraps 50 having extended portions 51 adapted for connecting to thelinks 527 These links have attached thereto flexible cables or cordsconnected at their other ends tothe-rudder (not pivoted in the extendedthe shaft 62 of.pedal will remain substantially parallel to shaft 63 ofpedal 61 and that both shafts 62 and (53 will remain substantiallyparallel to shafts 23 and 2'1. The pedals are provided with rubbertreads 64: and guides 65. The fact that the pedals are so constructedand installed will prevent the operators feet from slipping off thetreads, since as stated, the shafts of the pedals remain substantiallyparallel, and the rubber treads present friction surfaces of contact,and further, the guides 65 retain the operators feet in firm contactwith the treads.

The control is adapted for adjustment whereby the pedal 60 and 61 andconsequently the treads 6 may be set at different distances from theoperators seat 70. This is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 wherein 71is the fuselage of the aeroplane and 72 is the cock-pit in which thecontrol 2.0 is installed. The c0ntr0l is shown in three differentpositions: A, B, and C. Position A isfor an operator of average lengthof limb; position B is for an operator of long length of limb; positionC is for an operator of short length of limb. In order to adjust forthese different positions, it is sufficient that the gears 30 and 81 beseparated in some suitable manner, for example by removing pin 32 fromeither of the gears, permitting sliding of this gear on the shaft andunmeshing'it from the other gear. The levers then may be moved to anydesired position, for instance, for a short limbed operator, toward theseat, and for a long limbed operator away from the seat. The gears arethen remeshed and the length of the cables is changed to correspond tothe new position of the levers for normal rudder position, thuscompleting the adjust ment.

In operating the rudder, as lever 21 is pushed forward the lever 22 willbe pushed back, or in the opposite direction. by the action of the gears30 and 31. Correspondingly, if the lever 22 is pushed forward the lever21 will be thrown in the opposite direction by the action of the gears.

-It is thought that further description of the operation of the controlis unnecessary in view of the above description and explanation.Further. from the description set out above, it is evident that acontrol has been devised which is safe, sure and suflicient inoperation; which gives positive motion to the rudder; which is simpleand compact in structure; and which permits satis factory adjustment ofthe treads for setting them at different distances from the oper atorsseat. It is also obvious that other forms of controls may be devisedwithout differing in any way from the fundamentals of the constructionset out above.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described, constitutes apreferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that otherforms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow:

1. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operatinglevers substantially in lateral alignment for normal rudder position;pivotal mounting for each lever; and means positively interconnectingsaid levers and permitting the adjustment of the position of both leversrelative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the newposit-ion, for normal rudder position, is retained.

2. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising pair of operating leverssubstantially in lateral alignment for normal rudder position; a pivotalmounting for each lever; and means, positively connecting the levers,permitting the adjustment of the position of both levers relative to theoperators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, fornormal rudder position, is re tained.

3. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operatinglevers substantially in lateral alignment; a shaft secured to eachlever, and forming an axis therefor; and means, operably connecting thetwo shafts, permitting the adjustment of the position of both leversrelative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the newposition, for normal rudder position, is retained.

4. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operatinglevers substantially in lateral alignment; pedals for the levers; ashaft secured to each lever and forming an axis therefor; and gears,opera bly connecting the two shafts, adapted for disengagement to permitthe adjustment of both levers about their axes, relative to theoperators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, fornormal rudder position, is retained.

5. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operatinglevers substantially in lateral alignment; pedals for the levers; meanssecured to each lever for connecting to the rudder, a shaft secured toeach lever and forming an axis therefor; fixed bearings for the shafts;gears secured to and operably connecting the two shafts; and meansadapted to disengage the gears for permitting the adjustment of theposition of both levers about their axes, relative to the operatorsseat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, for normalrudder position, is retained.

6. ln an aeroplane having a control surface, an operating mechanism forsaid control surface including a pair of operating levers having pivotalmounting and being positively interconnected to rotate in. oppositedirections, and means independent of the positive interconnection fortransmitting opposite directions, and-means for adjust ing the positiveinterconnection whereby the position of the levers for the normalposition of said control surface may be varied.

8. In an aeroplane having a control sur face, an operating mechanism forsaid'control surface including a pair of manual levers positivelyinterconnected to rotate 1nopposite directions and in substantiallyparallel planes, and means for adjusting the positive interconnectionwhereby the posi tion of the levers for the normal position of saidcontrolsurface may be varied.

9. In an aeroplane having a control surface an operating mechanism forsaidcontrol surface including a pair of manual levers having pivotalmounting, toothed-gear means between said levers for positively r0-tating the levers in opposite direct-ions, and

means for adjusting said toothed gear means whereby the position of thelevers for the normal position of said control surface may be changed.

- In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

' MILTON C. BAUMANN.

Witness:

H. C. MANGEY.

